It is known to provide a charger for wirelessly charging a battery of a cellular telephone in a vehicle. This type of charger is typically in the form of a charging mat in which a transmitter coil is mounted, the transmitter coil being configured to couple with a receiver coil of the cellular telephone to charge the battery of the cellular telephone. This type of charger may cause a particular problem, in particular in all-terrain vehicles, as the cellular telephone can slide off the charging mat when the vehicle moves. Moreover, the transmitter coil of this type of charger is typically energized even when no cellular telephone is being charged, which may cause Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) issues with nearby electronic devices and may decrease the charging performance of the charger.
An alternate type of wireless cellular telephone charger is provided by ZENS®. This charger fits into a cup holder of a vehicle, and comprises a slot for receiving the cellular telephone. A transmitter coil is mounted in the charger and is configured to couple with a receiver coil of the cellular telephone when the cellular telephone is inserted within the slot, to charge the battery of the cellular telephone. However, in order to align the transmitter coil in the charger with the receiver coil of the cellular telephone, the charger projects above the cup holder, which may prevent a lid or panel from closing the cup holder.
At least in certain embodiments, the present invention sets out to overcome or ameliorate at least some of the problems associated with known cellular telephone chargers.